From time to time, coastal areas may experience strong winds such as during hurricanes and tropical storms. Strong winds can lift and hurl objects with sufficient force to break windows. Windows broken during a hurricane admit volumes of rain that does further damage. Moreover, volumes of wind entering a broken window increase internal pressures in the residence that can cause it to come apart. Window damage from strong winds may be mitigated, however, by impact-resistant window construction or by placing a covering over the window prior to a storm.
One common type of covering for windows is a sheet of plywood but there are other coverings such as strong fabrics and panels made of metal or plastics such as LEXAN. Rigid coverings may be nailed or screwed to the window frame so as to cover the window pane. Fabrics may be fitted with grommets and then secured to the window frame by inserting anchoring screws through the grommet holes and into the framework of the residence.